ROOTED?

I installed a dash-cam and shorted out the Merc’s infotainment unit

Lyndon Mallinson, Gilston, Qld

SOME people ‘jailbreak’ their iPhone/iPad or ‘root’ (yes, that is what it’s called) their Android device, and some do their own servicing and work on their car.

I recently installed a dash-cam that came with a hard-wire kit that connects with the cockpit fusebox of my Mercedes-Benz ML320. However, I inadvertently shorted out the car’s Comand infotainment unit, which could then only be operated via the steering wheel controls. To fix it, the unit had to be removed, powered down for 30 seconds, then reinstalled.

Picture something similar happening to a complicated autonomous driving machine where a self-servicing owner fails to discover an electrical issue with any one of the numerous safety devices. Even worse, a vehicle with autonomous issues may be sold on to an unwitting buyer who assumes everything still works. If it doesn’t? Ouch, both physically and financially.